Spain still stuck in political deadlock as party talks fail

By iNFOTEL
July 09 2019 06:09 AM

CP803163587 — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. European Union leaders on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, after a lengthy session of talks, named current Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel for the post of President of the European Commission. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

MADRID – Spain’s centre-left Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez has failed to win the support of the far-left We Can party for his bid to form a government, prolonging the political limbo in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy.

Sanchez won the most votes in April’s general election but he is far short of a parliamentary majority. He needs to negotiate extra votes to get lawmakers’ approval, in a confidence vote later this month, to take office.

A fifth round of talks between Sánchez and We Can leader Pablo Iglesias broke down without agreement Tuesday. The two major right-of-centre parties in parliament say they will block Sánchez’s attempt to return to power.

The Socialists have 123 seats in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies, Spain’s parliament.

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